(Re)Introducing:

Tak Boleh Tahan! 2023:
A Three-Part Townhall

Tak Boleh Tahan! 2023 is a three-part townhall series organised by Manifestival, a joint effort by various civil society organisations and independent media platforms to encourage democratic, public discussion on important issues that matter to all of us in Singapore. The townhalls will take place once a month, from Jan-March, in the lead up to the Committee of Supply Debate in Parliament.

 

Event Details:

Despite 2 years surviving a global pandemic, Singapore is facing yet another crisis. With the cost of living rising much faster than our wages, many in Singapore are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. Transportation, food, and electricity prices have all gone up a lot. Housing prices have skyrocketed to levels we’ve never seen before. And healthcare keeps getting more unaffordable for many of us. Despite all this, the government insists that they need to increase the GST from 7 to 8% in 2023, and 9% in 2024. They say that this is for our benefit. Is this true?

The rising cost of living affects all of us, regardless of age. More low-income families are struggling to put food on the table. It keeps them away from the doctor, and pushes them into further crisis.

While our ministers, mayors, billionaires and CEOs will manage just fine with their high salaries and the fortunes they have hoarded, ordinary people like you and I will have to hustle, scrimp, and scrape for every dollar to survive.

What does this struggle look like for the average person? Are these price hikes as unavoidable as the government says they are? Who benefits from them? Are the GST vouchers sufficient to make up for the rising cost of living? With the government announcing the 2023 Budget on 14th February, what can we, the citizens, do about this?

• Featured Speakers: Marlina, Shabir, and Kumarr
• Date & Time: 29 January, 3-5pm
• Venue: Orange & Teal, 35 Rochester Dr, #02-12 Rochester Mall, Singapore 138639